The Charge

Some jobs bite. This one bites back.

The Case

Billy Bretherton and his Vexcon gang are back in action for another round of
hardcore exterminating in A&E's Billy the Exterminator: Season Three.
This time, Louisiana's fearless pest control expert tries to keep his cool while
chasing after wild hogs, rushing to protect precious wolves, and entering
vicious battles with aggressive bees, nasty raccoons, and a bunch of hungry
gators. Billy is the only one out there who does it all in his field of work,
and the third season of the action-packed reality show boasts several exciting
episodes showcasing Billy's often militaristic approach to helping clients with
unwelcome animals.

Spread across three discs, the third season of Billy the Exterminator
includes seventeen episodes. Each of those runs for 20 minutes, usually
following Billy on two jobs. What's missing in this time around is the bit of
silly family drama we got to watch during the previous seasons, but to tell you
the truth, the show works perfectly fine without it. Billy's crazy assignments
are the focus of attention anyway, and they deliver just the kind of fast-paced
television entertainment viewers enjoy so much. His eccentric behavior and
unique attitude towards the job only add to the fun of the show, and when he's
not busy trying to evict snakes from a dirty pool or running after hungry foxes,
Billy enjoys taking the time to educate his audiences about how dangerous these
pests can be an what people can do to best protect themselves against all sorts
of unwanted visitors.

As usual, this season has its share of highlights. In one of my favorite
episodes, Billy and his brother Ricky must wrestle with thousands of bees hiding
inside a tall building that serves as a practice ground for local firefighters.
In another amusing episode, the Bretherton brothers engage in a dangerous war
with fire ants threatening to destroy alligator eggs. As a bonus, this season
also includes an extended "Best of Billy" episode (the season finale),
which takes a look back at our pest control hero's toughest cases from the
previous two seasons. It's safe enough to say Billy's already had his fair share
of encounters with nasty roaches, possums, mice, spiders, bees, and any other
dangerous creatures wreaking havoc all across Louisiana.

Picture quality and audio look and sound good. This is not a show captured
with immensely expensive cameras, so the footage looks a little rough, but
that's also quite appropriate given the nature of the content. The special
features include three featurettes. One of them focuses on Billy, while the
other two take a look at his crew and the making of the show.

One thing is sure: Billy is still at the top of his game in Billy the
Exterminator: Season Three, a show that has quickly become one of my
favorites. The horde of risky assignments, the huge variety of pests Billy must
deal with, and the never-ending energy the Vexcon team brings to the table all
provide highly engaging television.